they called him the palomino of nicosia -- the ballerino of nicosia. now he and his wife sit at home with their son. the family have debts they cannot repay. they have three loans adding up to more than 300,000 euros in total. >> it was so easy to get credit. no questions asked. they just gave us something to sign, and we did not read the small print. if you do not have a regular income and cannot make the payments and you are two or three months behind, then you have to pay a late fee. the apartment has and 85,000- euro mortgage, and we pay up to 200 euros a month just to cover the interest. >> they are not alone. cyprus has the highest level of private household debt in the entire eurozone. when the supreme economy was booming and everyone had jobs, private individuals borrowed some 20 billion euros from banks to buy cars and set up businesses, but this crisis has left many unable to pay back their loans. >> i cannot pay my debt because no customers are coming to my shop, and in addition to the credit, i have to pay rent and wages. >> my loan is 1/5